Principles for Relationships from God's Word by Claudio Consuegra

Do something – 1

“Here is a simple, rule-of-thumb guide for behavior: Ask yourself what you want people to do for you, then grab the initiative and do it for them. Add up God’s Law and Prophets and this is what you get. Matthew 7:12 (MSG)

A crisis is most often unexpected, which means we have not planned properly for it. It could be an accident that leaves us bedridden for several days or weeks, or the birth of a premature baby which means a prolonged stay at the hospital, or a death in the family. Well-meaning people want to be helpful and yet don’t know what to do, and often they will ask, “if there’s anything I can do please let me know.”

Having been on that side, Suzanne Fleet[i] knows that there are indeed some things you can do without even asking which can be so meaningful and helpful to a family (or a person) in crisis. She suggests four things you can do:

Provide food. For people in the southern United States, their first reaction to bad news (and also good news) is to start making a casserole. You might think the family will be overwhelmed with so much food from different people, but they will be grateful for everything that’s provided for them. They may not have any groceries or anything prepared, so ready to eat meals will come in very handy. Do check in about food allergies and dietary restrictions first. Fresh fruit and vegetables are always good, and if there’s a way to have ready-made salads they can serve quickly it can be very helpful, too.

Run errands. Why not call or text your neighbor in crisis and ask if they need anything you can get for them. Fleet tells of her experience, “One of my incredibly sweet neighbors texted me almost every time she went to the grocery store. ‘Do you need anything?’ I still remember crying one day after getting her message. I needed everything, but just bread and strawberries would get me through that day — and that translated to an extra 45 minutes with my baby at the hospital. Another mother at my older son’s preschool bought his school supplies without even asking. I just got a text from her saying, ‘I got your school supplies. Take it off your list.’ These are the gestures you never forget.”

Father, help me to be thoughtful and take action with people in crisis.